https://www.sterlingsky.ca/can-reddit-links-impact-google-rankings/There’s more content than ever… and somehow, less of it actually sticks.AI can pump out posts in seconds. Feeds are crowded. Attention spans are brutal.So the real question is: why should anyone care about what you make?In this conversation, I sat down with Ross Simmonds, founder of Foundation Marketing and one of the sharpest thinkers in content right now, to get into what’s actually working.We talk about:🔹Why most content gets ignored (even when it’s “good”)🔹What makes something memorable in a sea of sameness🔹Why you should bother creating content when AI is stealing itIf you’re building a brand, growing an audience, or you feel like your content is disappearing into thin air: This one’s worth your time.Show Links:https://rosssimmonds.com/book/https://foundationinc.co/podcast/ross-simmonds-show/https://x.com/cybercpu/status/2046813626175267249What's the best type of content to get links?https://www.linkedin.com/posts/rosssimmonds_whats-the-best-type-of-content-to-get-links-share-7452739059107688448-6VPcChapter:00:00 - Introduction: The State of AI and Content Scraping 01:08 - How Gemini and AI Tools Impact Creator Traffic 02:16 - The Long-Term Shift: Moving Beyond the "10 Blue Links" 05:01 - Three Business Models That Thrive in the AI Era 07:27 - Content Strategy for Lawyers and Home Service Businesses 10:44 - Reddit Marketing: A Real-World Insurance Case Study 14:46 - When and How to Start a Brand Subreddit 17:50 - Managing Negative Reviews and Brand Sentiment on Reddit 25:48 - How to Write Reddit Posts for Engagement (Not Just SEO) 29:04 - The Risks of Buying Reddit Comments and "Spammy" Marketing 33:23 - The Role of an Agency in Managing Reddit Presence 35:22 - Content Formats That Earn the Most Backlinks 40:17 - The Biggest Mistake Brands Make with AI Content 44:49 - Remixed Stories: Repurposing Content for Longevity 46:25 - Create Once, Distribute Forever: Book Insights 47:54 - The Future of AI-Generated Avatars and Brand Trust 51:14 - Attribution and Tracking Success in a Multi-Touch World 53:07 - Social Ad Strategy: TikTok vs. Meta vs. Reddit 55:53 - Using Reddit Ads to Influence Search Results 01:03:08 - Marketing for Emergency Services (Locksmiths, Plumbers) 01:04:21 - The "Four Es" Content Philosophy for Local Businesses 01:06:34 - Rapid Fire Questions: Marketing Trends, Dead Platforms, and Originality 01:13:48 - Outro and Where to Find Ross SimmondsEp 26119#localseo #seo #localsearch __________________________________________READY TO TAKE YOUR LOCAL SEO TO THE NEXT LEVEL?Websites: https://www.sterlingsky.ca/https://localu.org/https://localsearchforum.com/Blogs:https://www.sterlingsky.ca/blog/https://localu.org/blog/

👉 https://www.sterlingsky.ca/local-seo/ Fake reviews that won’t get removed. Listings suspended without warning. No clear answers from Google.   In Part 2 of this exclusive episode, ex-Googlers explain what actually triggers suspensions, what qualifies a review for removal, and how to recover your profile fast.   If your business depends on Google visibility, this is the side of the system you can’t afford to ignore.   Links: https://www.thegbpexperts.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradwetherall/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelheadley/   Chapters 00:00 - Introduction: Understanding Google Business Profile issues 01:03 - The truth about flagging negative reviews for removal 04:01 - Brute forcing support vs. algorithmic approaches 05:22 - 3-step process for dealing with negative reviews 06:33 - The "Trust Score" concept for users and businesses 08:31 - Why authority matters when flagging content 11:41 - Can factually correct edits hurt your trust score? 12:42 - Local Guide levels: What it takes to get edits processed 14:11 - Is the Google Product Expert forum still effective? 16:14 - Google's shift toward cost-consciousness and data purging 18:51 - Gmail vs. Corporate domains: Which does Google trust more? 22:06 - Security tips: Managing primary ownership and managers 23:16 - How to avoid business profile suspensions 25:54 - Dealing with suspension backlogs and support queues 27:19 - Pro tip: Contacting support in different languages 30:12 - "Duress Verticals": Why some industries are scrutinized more 33:54 - Proactive steps to prevent suspension (Photos & Activity) 36:00 - Business vs. User-generated photos: Which is better? 39:58 - Why owner replies are engagement signals, not ranking factors 42:37 - Future Outlook: AI local packs and the evolving role of GBP 43:30 - What to prioritize in the next year (Citations & Third-party sites) 46:59 - Final thoughts and where to find the experts   To add these to your video, simply copy and paste the timestamps and titles into the video description in YouTube Studio\!   EP 26102 part 2 #localseo #digitalmarketing #localsearch __________________________________________ READY TO TAKE YOUR LOCAL SEO TO THE NEXT LEVEL?   Websites: https://www.sterlingsky.ca/ https://localu.org/ https://localsearchforum.com/   Blogs: https://www.sterlingsky.ca/blog/ https://localu.org/blog/

https://www.sterlingsky.ca/local-seo/In Part 1 of this exclusive Episode, I sit down with former Google employees Joel Headley and Brad Wetherall to uncover what really happens behind the scenes of Google Business Profiles, and what business owners often get completely wrong. Why reviews disappear, why edits don’t stick, and why support often feels like a dead end. We break down how Google actually evaluates trust, filters reviews, and decides what gets published or ignored. If you rely on Google Maps to drive calls, leads, or foot traffic, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss. Links: https://www.thegbpexperts.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradwetherall/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelheadley/ Chapters 00:00 Introduction : Why your Google reviews disappear and profiles get suspended 00:47 Meet the Former Googlers : Intro of Brad Weatherall and Joel Headley 01:41 The Mystery of Missing Reviews : Understanding the cyclical nature of review removals 03:46 The Balancing Act : How Google experiments with algorithms and causes collateral damage 05:51 Why Seasonality Matters : Why Google avoids major algorithm tweaks in Q4 07:22 Behind the Scenes : How Google targets spam and uses automated scripts 12:18 Review Parties and Proximity Signals : The risks of getting too many reviews at one location 15:34 Tactics for Getting Filtered Reviews to Stick : Discussion on editing reviews and profile links 17:48 The "Recaptcha" Logic in Reviews : How mouse movement impacts Google's trust 21:44 New Google Guidelines : Speculation on why Google discourages mentioning employee names 27:10 Do Reviews Ever Truly Get Deleted? : Understanding the hidden database where content is stored 31:04 One Google, Many Teams : Why advice contradicts enforcement across Policy, Product, and Support 33:36 Is Reaching Out to Support Worth It? : The reality of modern automated machine decision-making 39:13 Pro-Tips for Navigating Support Levels : Understanding Levels 1, 2, and 3 and the language trick 53:48 The "Escape Hatch" : How to trigger the manual verification process 59:49 Coming Up on Part 2 : Teaser for the next episode on negative reviews and suspensions   Ep 26102 pt1   #localseo #seo #localsearch __________________________________________ Grow Your Business With Local SEO   At Sterling Sky, we're passionate about helping businesses like yours achieve their local SEO goals. We know that the digital landscape can be confusing and ever-changing, so we've made it our mission to provide you with the expert guidance and support your need to succeed.   We've helped countless businesses achieve their local SEO goals, and we're confident that we can help you do the same.   READY TO TAKE YOUR LOCAL SEO TO THE NEXT LEVEL?   Websites: https://www.sterlingsky.ca/ https://localu.org/ https://localsearchforum.com/   Blogs: https://www.sterlingsky.ca/blog/ https://localu.org/blog/

In this episode, we sit down with SEO legend James Dooley, who has built and ranked over 1,000 domains and generated more than 2 million enquiries online. If you’re wondering how to rank a website on Google in 2026, this is the conversation you need to hear. We break down: 🔹The exact SEO strategies working right now 🔹When duplicate content becomes a real problem 🔹Whether brand matters more than backlinks 🔹Plus: how AI traffic compares to Google traffic today. If you’re a business owner, agency, or SEO trying to stay ahead of Google’s algorithm, this episode will give you clarity. James Dooley started his career in digital marketing in 2009, when he built his first website. James Dooley quickly became fascinated by SEO and began to learn everything he could about the subject. In the years since, James Dooley has built and ranked over 1,000 domains online as a UK-based Digital Landlord, generating over 2 million enquiries. Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction: James Dooley's SEO Journey 01:36 - The Key to Winning in 2026: Holistic Marketing 02:07 - Finding Profit in Narrow Niches 04:11 - Social Media for Local Businesses: Ranking Your Posts 06:22 - Optimizing Facebook Posts for Search 08:27 - Explaining Semantic Triples 09:44 - Strategies for Forcing Google to Index Content 12:28 - Leveraging Facebook Groups for Visibility 16:21 - The Power of Self-Promoting Listicles 19:14 - Facebook Pages vs. Profiles for SEO 21:11 - LinkedIn vs. Other Platforms: Hashtags and Links 22:42 - Cracking the Code on Reddit Ranking 26:22 - AI Overviews: Impact on Lead Volume and Quality 30:52 - The Future of LLMs: ChatGPT vs. Claude and Gemini 36:06 - Crafting the Perfect URL Structure 39:05 - When to Create Specific Service Area Pages 41:46 - Essential Elements of a Service Area Page 45:54 - The Truth About Duplicate Content on Local Sites 52:24 - Algorithm Update Trends: Brand and Social Signals 55:36 - Why Traditional Link Building is Diminishing 58:56 - Avoiding Toxic Links and PBN Scams 1:02:44 - Proactive Reputation Management 1:04:50 - James's Recommendations for Learning SEO 1:06:22 - How Long Does It Take to Rank a New Site? 1:12:18 - How Paid Traffic Indirectly Boosts Organic Rankings 1:15:06 - The Mistake of Using Separate Domains for PPC 1:19:37 - Social Media Ad Strategies for Lead Generation 1:23:13 - Local Pack vs. Organic Leads: Quality Comparisons 1:25:01 - Speed to Lead: The Importance of Rapid Response 1:27:28 - Utilizing WhatsApp and SMS for Lead Nurturing#localseo #seo #localsearch EP 26088 __________________________________________ Grow Your Business With Local SEO   At Sterling Sky, we're passionate about helping businesses like yours achieve their local SEO goals. We know that the digital landscape can be confusing and ever-changing, so we've made it our mission to provide you with the expert guidance and support your need to succeed.   We've helped countless businesses achieve their local SEO goals, and we're confident that we can help you do the same.   READY TO TAKE YOUR LOCAL SEO TO THE NEXT LEVEL?   Websites: https://www.sterlingsky.ca/ https://localu.org/ https://localsearchforum.com/   Blogs: https://www.sterlingsky.ca/blog/ https://localu.org/blog/

Ever had a customer swear they left a 5-star review, but it never appears or vanishes without a trace? With sophisticated artificial intelligence and advanced pattern recognition capabilities, algorithms are getting better at identifying unusual activity.   This video explains how 'missing reviews' and spikes in customer review volume can flag your online reputation, especially on platforms like Google Reviews. It's not just random; ai models are becoming incredibly adept at detecting fake reviews and other anomalies.   🔗 Show Links & Resources   📈 Local SEO Research & Reports ◼Google Map Pack Study: How Call Buttons Affect Rankings https://smallbizedge.com/reports/map-pack-call-buttons/ ◼Industry Report: The State of Local SEO in 2026 https://www.sterlingsky.ca/the-state-of-local-seo-in-2026/ ◼Analysis: The New Ranking Factor Landscape https://www.linkedin.com/posts/claudia-tomina_the-new-ranking-factor-landscape-google-activity-7425213430845976577-ucC_/   🛠 GBP Management & Policy Updates ◼Policy Update: GBP Identity & Review Policy Changes https://www.linkedin.com/posts/hiroko-imai_the-google-business-profile-policy-has-been-activity-7429686096822812672-GMWv/ ◼SAB Guide: How to Move an SAB Without Destroying Rankings https://www.sterlingsky.ca/move-your-sab-without-destroying-rankings/ ◼Reference: Google Maps Business Support https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/geocoding/overview   📊 Data & Visuals ◼State of Local SEO in 2026: https://www.sterlingsky.ca/the-state-of-local-seo-in-2026/ ◼% of Keyword with Local Services Ads (LSA): https://www.sterlingsky.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/LSA-Ads-v2-padding-1-2048x1270.png ◼% of Keywords Showing Local Pack Ads : https://www.sterlingsky.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/CleanShot-2026-03-30-at-10.51.31-1024x635.png   #localseo #seo #localsearch __________________________________________ Grow Your Business With Local SEO   At Sterling Sky, we're passionate about helping businesses like yours achieve their local SEO goals. We know that the digital landscape can be confusing and ever-changing, so we've made it our mission to provide you with the expert guidance and support your need to succeed.   We've helped countless businesses achieve their local SEO goals, and we're confident that we can help you do the same.   READY TO TAKE YOUR LOCAL SEO TO THE NEXT LEVEL?   Websites: https://www.sterlingsky.ca/ https://localu.org/ https://localsearchforum.com/   Blogs: https://www.sterlingsky.ca/blog/ https://localu.org/blog/   ⏯️ Chapters:00:00 Why Google Reviews Disappear (Intro & Hook) 01:20 Guest Introduction: Claudia Tomina 01:42 #1 Reason Reviews Don't Publish: No Prior Engagement 03:02 Tips to Get Reviews to Publish (Branded Search Strategy) 05:18 Is Google Punishing Businesses for Using Their Own Review Link? 07:09 Do Review Request Campaigns Boost Rankings? 08:06 CTR Manipulation: Does It Work & Can It Hurt You? 10:37 Can You Recover Unpublished or Deleted Reviews? 11:50 Review Velocity & Patterns That Trigger Filtering 13:13 Real Case: Law Firm Burned by Bought Reviews 15:12 When Google Flags a Group of Negative Reviews as an Attack 18:26 Pre-Algorithm vs. Post-Algorithm Review Removal 20:33 The "4–5 Day Disappearing Review" Trend: Bug or Feature? 37:55 The Future of Google Bookings & Agentic Local Search 39:48 Google's Chat Feature: Why It's Not Taking Off 40:52 Are Google Posts Worth It? When They Work & When They Don't 43:46 AI-Generated Content on Google Business Profiles 45:32 Editorial Summaries vs. Review Summaries vs. "Know Before You Go" 47:29 Who to Follow for Local SEO Insights 50:41 Removing Negative Reviews: What Actually Works 52:49 What Causes Google to Block Google Posts 54:06 Starting a New Business: How to Allocate 5 Hours/Week for Marketing 55:56 What Content Is Working Right Now (and What's Dying) 58:06 Is Social Media a Direct Google Ranking Factor? 1:01:18 Real Local SEO Problem: Website URL Change That

Google's increasingly aggressive crackdowns and harsher core updates are significantly impacting Local SEO and AI search professionals. Medium to Small Businesses are experiencing major traffic losses due to these changes, often without understanding the cause. This situation necessitates a strategic adaptation to the new landscape, focusing on content adjustments and off-site brand mentions to mitigate the effects of Google algorithm shifts and stay ahead of AI updates in search. Lily Ray @amsive joins us to break down why small to medium businesses are being hit the hardest by Google and provides a strategic roadmap for content adjustments, brand mentions, and surviving the shift to AI-driven search.#localseo #seo #localsearch 🕒 Timestamps:00:00 Introduction: The SEO Landscape in 202601:03 Who is Lily Ray?02:02 Is AI Content Inherently Dangerous?04:03 The Risks of "Scaling" Content & City Pages06:15 Service Area Pages vs. Physical Locations09:23 Why YMYL Topics Face Higher Scrutiny10:41 How AI Overviews are Killing Organic Traffic12:48 Action Items: Diversification & Digital PR15:47 The New Role of SEOs: LLM Discoverability17:41 Why Reddit & Forums are Dominating Search18:55 Small Business Strategy: Video & Authenticity21:14 Analyzing the Most Recent Core Updates24:10 Google’s Preference for .gov & Authority Sites27:28 How to Diagnose & Recover from a Hit31:16 The Truth About Backlinks & Disavow Tools34:14 Content Classifiers & Site-Wide Demotions37:00 Local Pack vs. Organic: Why GBP Stays Safe39:05 The Crackdown on Self-Serving Listicles44:17 E-E-A-T: Common Misconceptions Debunked48:12 The War on AI-Generated Fake Reviews51:51 Rapid-Fire Questions & Future Myths🔗 Resources:Lily Ray’s Newsletter: https://www.amsive.com/insights/Joy Hawkins' Newsletter: https://www.sterlingsky.ca/newsletter/Google Search Console Guide: https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/9128669__________________________________________Grow Your Business With Local SEOAt Sterling Sky, we're passionate about helping businesses like yours achieve their local SEO goals. We know that the digital landscape can be confusing and ever-changing, so we've made it our mission to provide you with the expert guidance and support your need to succeed.We've helped countless businesses achieve their local SEO goals, and we're confident that we can help you do the same.READY TO TAKE YOUR LOCAL SEO TO THE NEXT LEVEL?Websites: https://www.sterlingsky.ca/https://localu.org/https://localsearchforum.com/Blogs:https://www.sterlingsky.ca/blog/https://localu.org/blog/Ep 26104

Google Business Profile suspensions, disappearing reviews, and sudden listing removals are happening more often than ever, and most business owners have no idea why.In this webinar, we sit down with a seasoned Google Business Profile product expert, Ben Fisher, Co-Founder at @SteadyDemand who works inside the mess every day, dealing with real suspensions, failed verifications, spam networks, and review wipeouts.Links:Steady Demandhttps://www.steadydemand.com/Tool http://peec.ai/Sterling Sky Podcasthttps://www.sterlingsky.ca/local-seo-the-experts-guide-podcast/Localu Global Virtual Conference VODhttps://localu.org/localu-global-access-on-demand-recorded-january-28-2026/Local Search Reddithttps://www.reddit.com/r/localsearch/Video: 7 Local SEO Mistakes Costing Your Business THOUSANDS (Fix These NOW!)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54_JsfQuLx8#localseo #googlebusinessprofile #digitalmarketing EP 26008

In this exclusive session, we’re joined by Mike King, one of the sharpest minds in search, to unpack the wildest shifts happening in Google’s AI-powered results right now. You’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at real tactics Mike is using for clients today to gain visibility across AI platforms like Google and ChatGPT and how you can apply them immediately.LIVE TOOL DEMO: Mike will walk through a powerful fan-out query tool that uncovers how Google is interpreting and ranking entire topics. We’ll even use real audience examples in the demo so you can see it in action.What you’ll learn:✅ The “fan-out query” method explained in plain English✅ How to pull Google’s full query list for your niche✅ Tactics to help small businesses stand out in an AI-dominated search landscape✅ Why certain blackhat strategies still work (and Mike’s take on them)Whether you’re a business owner, SEO strategist, or just trying to stay ahead of AI’s impact on search, this webinar will leave you with actionable insights you won’t find anywhere else.Save your seat now and come ready with a topic for the live tool demo! Register👉 https://localu.org/how-rank-2026-mike-king-webinar/Links:Mike King's Tool - https://ipullrank.com/tools/qforia https://ipullrank.com/case-studiesMike King's Conference April 27-30, 2026 - https://seoweek.org/ LocalU Global - Attend from Anywhere🌎 - https://localu.org/etn/localu-global-january-28-2026/Next Months Webinar: https://localu.org/gbp-violations-punishment-ben-fisher/

Local SEO is changing fast! For more 👉🏻 https://www.sterlingsky.ca/the-state-of-local-seo-in-2026/ Learn about the 3 major threats facing businesses in 2026: disappearing organic visibility, AI's impact on search, and aggressive review attacks. Experts Joy Hawkins @SterlingSkyInc Luc Durand @rankingacademy & Darren Shaw @WhitesparkCa reveal how to prepare, understand mobile search shifts, deal with fake reviews, and apply effective strategies to stay competitive. Don't fall behind – watch LIVE to secure your local rankings!Date : December 17, 2025Time : 11:00 am - 1:00 pm ETRegister for updates: https://localu.org/etn/surviving-local-seo-in-2026/Chapters:0:00 Welcome to 2026 Local SEO Threats & Expert Introductions2:00 Understanding Declining Google Business Profile Calls4:30 The Impact of AI-Powered Local Packs on Visibility8:00 Google's Monetization Strategy & SERP Changes13:00 The Rise of Local Pack Ads and Local Services Ads (LSAs)16:00 Maximizing Value from Local Services Ads: Agency Perspective20:00 Diversifying Lead Generation Beyond Organic SEO23:00 Analyzing Traffic from AI Platforms like ChatGPT & Gemini29:00 Why Video Marketing is Essential for Local Businesses36:00 Debunking Local SEO Myths: Geotagging & AI-Generated Video40:00 Whitespark Local Ranking Grid: Advanced Tracking & LLM Visibility45:00 Effective Strategies for Google Review Generation50:00 Open Hours as a Local Ranking Factor & Service Area Business (SAB) Challenges58:00 Navigating Co-working Spaces & Subleasing for Business Addresses1:02:00 Optimizing Service Area Pages & Core Business Citations1:07:00 Combating Review Extortion & Understanding Google's Review Jail1:19:00 Top Local SEO Strategies for 2026 Success1:25:00 Identifying & Avoiding Wasted Local SEO Tactics1:32:00 Ranking Strategies for Gemini AI & Perplexity: What Matters Now1:36:00 Essential Call Tracking for Local SEO & The Role of TikTok Ads1:40:00 Developing Niche Video Content Ideas for Local Businesses1:42:00 Local Grid Tracking: "Near Me" vs. "Keyword + City" Queries1:44:00 Best Practices for Responding to Negative Google Reviews1:48:00 Final Key Takeaways to Future-Proof Your Local Business#LocalSEO#GoogleBusinessProfile#ReviewManagement

Dive deep into the evolving world of SEO with expert insights! Learn why traditional SEO tactics are dead, how Forbes' strategy crumbled, and the new 2026 playbook for success. Discover the power of brand building, founder marketing, and Reddit as an SEO cheat code. We'll also explore AI's true role in content and what Google won't tell you. Don't miss out on strategies to protect your traffic and thrive in 2026 and beyond. Subscribe for cutting-edge Local SEO insights!Date : November 13, 2025Time : 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm ETRegister for updates: https://localu.org/etn/the-future-of-seo-what-google-wont-tell-you-but-we-will/Chapters:00:00 - Intro: The Future of SEO & Content00:40 - Why Viral Content Isn't Always Effective01:40 - Forbes' SEO Strategy Collapse Explained04:05 - Understanding Google's Helpful Content Update06:45 - The Old SEO Playbook: What's Dead in 202509:30 - The New SEO Strategy: Build Brand First12:00 - SEO for Small Businesses: When to Invest14:20 - Choosing Organic Channels: Fit Over Hype17:30 - Reddit: The SEO "Cheat Code" & Its Risks23:45 - How Reddit Manipulates Google & AI28:00 - Founder Marketing & Business Exits30:45 - Small Business Marketing: Ads vs. SEO33:00 - Personal Brand: Surviving the AI Content Wave35:30 - Hyper-Targeted Bottom-Funnel Content38:00 - Future of Marketing: Private Communities (Discord, WhatsApp)43:00 - Ranking in the AI Era: LLMs & SEO45:30 - New AI Ranking Signals: Reviews, Awards, PR47:00 - SEO Timeline for Small Businesses: Realistic Expectations49:10 - Competitor Comparison Content Strategy52:30 - Website Health Tools & Keyword Research for Topics55:20 - AI in Content Creation: Repurposing vs. Originality01:00:30 - The #1 Skill for New Marketers: Copywriting01:02:00 - Recommended Copywriting Books01:03:00 - Final Thoughts & Connect with Lars#SEOFuture #GoogleAI #LocalSEO